The Diego Diaries: Getting To The Root of Things (dd8 381)
NOTE: I don't know what it is about Friday night that kicks my tail pipes but I'm going to try and get over it to post every day as usual. Just so you know, its about 40 degrees outside and a baby yearling moose is decimating my trees and bushes for the umpteenth day. LOL! I love this place.
=0=Getting to the gist of things. Maybe.
Xantium turned toward Prime with the usual bloodthirsty yet somehow delighted expression on his face at the end of another successful mission/annihilation/obliteration/song and dance. "The big ships are disabled. The small fry are trying to get away in putt-putts. Do I blast them?"
Prime who felt a slight grin coming to his face anyway shook his helm. "No. I think we will leave that lot to Springer and his shuttles. We are going to have to hand-to-hand it with these ships. Best not to make it too messy." He grinned as he relaxed slightly. "What is the word on the Seekers, Prowl?"
"I'm sending Cambre back to pick them up and be the medical/rescue platform. Ratchet is taking care of that and we should have a report soon." Prowl stared at the data. Well, this was easy, he thought.
Too soon.
=0=On the flight deck of Cambre
The big ship slid to a halt near a massed fight of Seekers formed into a last ditch defense. Consider how a herd of musk oxen forms a circle with the big bulls and females facing out and the elderly and infants inside their formidable ranks safe for the moment against predators. The sight of them was amazing. They were wearing their colors, all of them were armed to the teeth and waiting with almost an agonized hope that they were safe at long last. It had taken a decade of running and hiding to reach this space by this group.
Ratchet stood in the hangar doorway staring at them blinking their running lights in the distance. There were a lot of sad cases in the group from the scans he'd made on the deck while rushing over from the armada. He would be busy a while getting everyone to the right place, treated, fed and arranged to rest for the duration of their stay here. No one would die. No one wouldn't recover. Several of them wouldn't be soldiers ever again.
=0=Getting there
They blasted past the Seekers, passed Cambre who was coming toward the group for pick up and made their way to circle hard around to the front of the armada where they slowed to a stop.
:Springer to Prime:
"Prime here," Optimus replied with a ghost of a hint of relief. "Status of your group."
:Ready to go: Springer replied.
"Very well," Prime said. "We're tracking a number of small vessels that are fleeing which we can pick up any time. They do not have bridging technology nor do they possess infinite travel capabilities. They do not pose a threat. We do have to clear the ships. We have disabled all of them. What you must do is clear them without casualties on our part."
:On it, Optimus. Springer out: He sat back considering the mess before them. Strewn all across their field of vision were ships that had been targeted by missiles that seemed to bear grudges. No one in the shuttles would want to elude a titan programmed slimline. "Well, its show time then."
Hercy, Lissie, Flint, Kup, Turbine and Splice stared out of a split screen monitor at Springer and Drift. Three other captains, Stailer, Binge and Sorrel were grinning at Springer as well as he did the math.
:There's ten of us, Springer. Just assign a chunk of something and lets go: Stailer said with a chuckle.
Grins met that as Springer predictably took offense.
"You do realize that I command this squad?" Springer said as Drift nodded.
"He commands this squad," Drift said helpfully as everyone on screen and their crews laughed.
Springer frowned at Drift, then the others. "I'm sending you a hunk of junk and an area of diameter. All that's inside that circle is yours. Any questions?" he asked.
No one had any because as soon as the coordinates arrived everyone bugged off to do battle with the beast.
Springer stared at them flying toward the bust up, then the others on his ship. "I didn't say go."
"We know," Sunstreaker said with a chuckle. "How about it, *Commander*?!"
Springer frowned at him. "Go, bitch."
They goed.
=0=On Cambre
The lines snaked into the hangar bay heading toward the elevators nearby. Children and families were being scanned, tagged and assisted. Many of them needed to be carried or rolled on gurneys as priorities ahead of the more ambulatory. The leadership which was teetering on the brink themselves insisted on helping until Starscream, Rainmaker and Silverclaw arrived.
The three walked across the deck after transforming, the mere sight of them halting everyone in their tracks. A wailing arose from some as others took a knee, overwhelmed at the sight of elders and Starscream after such a long journey. The leadership walked to the three who halted in the crowd, stroking the faces of children. Some of them touched Rainmaker in their disbelief that he was really here and that he had somehow lived.
"Elders," their leader said as he sank to his knees in exhaustion and emotion. "We came as best we could."
"You did honor to your houses," Rainmaker said gruff with emotion himself. "You are welcome, brothers and sisters. We are so glad to see you. We hunt for you orn and night. Unceasingly. We will bring you to the life you deserve and talk about the others. I will not REST until all are found and in safety. Come. Let us help you." With that, he reached out to the leaders to pull them to their peds. Slowly and with great emotion, exhaustion and wailing, they walked toward the elevators and the safety and assistance of the ship.
Watching them on the deck nearby, Cambre stood in the shadows in pretender tech. Then he derezzed to disappear into thin air.
=0=Out there
They flew toward the wreckage when in each of the vessels a mech came into resolution. Standing in the back of the ship, Cambre watched Hercy staring back at him.
"I wondered when you'd come," the old mech said as he patted the seat beside him.
Cambre walked through the curious mechs to sit beside Hercy. He relaxed, then glanced at Hercy with his enigmatic amber visored optics. He was a magnificent being, tall and powerful to a tee. He must have stood 35 feet tall because there was still a foot or two of clearance for his helm in the shuttle. "I am here to assist," he said as he unsubbed a gigantic gun. It gleamed in the light.
"Nice gun," Hercy said as the mechs around him admired and/or coveted it themselves. "Have you much hand-to-hand, Cambre?"
"No." The big mech subbed his gun. "I do have big hands, however."
"Good enough for me," Hercy said as he relaxed himself.
The murmurs of agreement were echoed on other ships as nine other titans joined Cambre for the dance.
=0=Prowl
"Ten titans materialized on the decks of the shuttles. It would appear that gents have finally joined the cotillion." Prowl grinned at the reference. Somehow it fit.
Everyone 'googled' gents and cotillion, then agreed wholeheartedly. Apparently Cambre's guardian button was jammed mightily at the sight of the Seekers, especially the children and elders. It had prompted a short discussion between them off line and the de-resolution of titans all over the fleet. In the run up to this part of the plan no one had noticed. Now they had.
"Put their points of view on line when possible, Prowl. I want to see how they do in this, a new form of combat for them," Optimus said. "Who has joined the shuttles?"
Prowl checked, then glanced at Prime. "Cambre is with Hercy. Titan, Tennyson, Firestop, Tornado, Fort Max, Metroplex, Caminus, Acroplex and Metrohex have gone as well."
"Thank you." Prime considered the line up. "I feel sorry for the Decepticons."
"I would but they didn't ask me to come. PERMISSION TO GO AND KICK ASS!" Xantium said as he stood.
Prime glanced at him. "Go."
With an unholy whoop, Xantium derezzed and joined Acroplex on Springer's shuttle, startling everyone on board but the big mech. All of them were linked in together to see how this new step in their smaller and more hands on life turned out.
=0=Cambre, the titan vessel
Ratchet stood in the center of the medical bay directing cases here and there, writing directions on them as he scanned all more fully. They were mostly tired, silent and sad. A youngish looking femme Seeker leaning on a tall youngish looking Seeker mech stared at the floor without comment. Nearby there were a passel of tallish looking mechs that were about their age physically but weren't. They were some of the forced infant soldiers that Jhiaxus and Soundwave were experimenting upon.
"You need to sit down," Ratchet said as he scanned the little femme. "Both of you."
The femme glanced up at him, then followed Ratchet to a chair. They both sat in a fog of sadness that seemed to have been their demeanor for a long time.
"How can I help you? You appear to be disturbed and sorrowful. There's nothing in your physical condition to appear to be the cause," Ratchet said as he switched hats from doctor to psychologist.
The femme stared at him, then shrugged. "Its … an old story."
"Tell me," Ratchet said. "I'm an old doctor."
She stared at him a moment, then did.
It was startling to Ratchet what he heard.
=0=On the way to the cotillion
They flew toward the debris field of shifting ships, junk floating everywhere and the odd mech floundering around in vacuum. Breaking off, they flew toward their own area ready to take on whatever greeted them. Given the scope of the damage and the listing, bouncing ships booping each other in their listless doom, it was going to be an extensive and extended dance.
One of three cruisers missing their tail feathers and trailing their mechanical guts behind them greeted Impactor's Revenge when they slid to a halt by it. Everyone took the measure of it while Rem scanned it from stem to stern. He glanced at Drift. "There's a lot of mechs in there, some are pinned down and others are running for the forward deck, the flight deck. Ordinance is everywhere, you might be splashing through fuel and who knows what. I estimate there's about 450 mechs in there."
"That many," Springer said with surprise. He rose and so did Xi. "I'm in charge here, slaggers. You will obey me."
Xi who was cracking his knuckles needlessly glanced at him. "Sure, boss," he said. Then he slapped the hatch release and stepped out into space. His ped thrusters took him to the ship and straight into a hole in its hull. He was lost from sight in seconds.
Everyone watched him go, then glanced at Springer.
"I will SHOOT the first fragger that follows him," Springer said with outrage.
"Sure, Boss," everyone but Acroplex said as they jumped out to follow Xantium through the hole into the ship.
Drift and Springer stared at the last one to disappear from sight, then turned back to Acroplex. He was still sitting on the bench waiting.
"Frag," Springer muttered. He grinned at the big titan sitting silently on the bench. "Let's go wreck shop."
Acroplex stood, then glanced at the door. "After you."
Springer grinned. "Finally. We get to go to battle with a gent." That's when all three of them jumped out and slid to the hull, the hole and the shoot 'em up going on inside.
=0=TBC 03-05-2022
Notes about musk oxen just because:
We have musk oxen up here and they're amazing. Consider a big share animal with the most luxurious long hair varying shades of brown and black that hangs nearly to the ground. They have big curved horns like water buffalo and know how to use them. They are enormously strong as adults and are fierce defenders of their herd and young.
They brought some babies to the wildlife place near us and when they set the kennels on the ground, then opened the doors, it was a wait. When the babies came out they rushed out backwards with their tiny heads facing the direction of their attackers. They do this as adults, roaring around to face you with their faces. They aren't born with horns. They come later on but its HILARIOUS to see them charge out of their dog kennels backwards.
Their hair is one of the finest things out there, so soft holding it doesn't even register on your nerves. Its also INCREDIBLY expensive. They harvest it by reaching under the animals to their bellies and pulling off just the right strands for making things. My dad gave my mom a scarf made of it. I never asked how much. Its so beautiful, hand woven by native people who raise them for such things. Its so hot to wear that even below zero its often too warm to wear for long. Its the most amazing hair. It keeps them toasty when its hell out there on the western part of Alaska where you usually find them being raised by the native people.
ESL
gents: short for gentlemen.
cotillion: (koh-til-yun) a formal dance where debutantes are presented. There was a time when people who had money would attend a series of formal dances held by the grand dames of their society to be shown off and find a 'suitable' husband. Women were usually 18 and eligible. Honest to god, they still have these things.
